Automobile bumper



Dec. 15, 1931. G. M. MCMURDQ 1,836,610

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER Filed Dec. 4, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dc. 15,1931. G. M.MQMURDO 1,836,610

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER Filed Dec. 4, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2` i sa PatentedDec. l5, 1931 'UNrTE-sn STATES;

GEORGE M. mcmnmidor McALnsTEauomHoM-A ,y AUTOMOBILE BUMPER] Applicationinea December 4, 1930.- serialgNo. `5oo;os6;

This invention hasfor itsobject the provisiorr offaf bumperfforautomobiles which Will yield t'o' theimpac't of a passing vehicle andWi'll automatically return vto normal fposition.

The'invention provides-a bumper of such yconstruction'y thatVinterlocking Yor entan'glement of the bumpers upontwolvehicles Will beavoided and damage' to the vehicles due to such interlocking ofbumperswillbepreventedi The' invention is'illnstratedinitheaccompartying drawings and consists in certain novelI features whichWillbehereinafter first' Figure 1 is a planvieW of the front p0rtion ofa motor vehicle having the bumper ofx my invention applied thereto, theintermediate port-ion of theV vehicle and the bumper being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one end portion of the bumper,

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View of the spring Which is employed,

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the bumper applied to the rear corner of thevehicle frame,

Fig. 6 .is a front elevation of the rear bumper, with parts in sectionon the line 6 6 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation, With parts in section on the line 7-7 ofFig. 5, and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section on the Referring more particularlyto the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a portion of the front end partof the automobile frame and 2 indicates a portion of the fendersextending over the front Wheels of the vehicle. To the frame at thesides of the same are secured bars 3 which project forwardly and havetheir front extremities turned laterally whereby they may be secured toa `central bumper member 4 which may be of any approved design, and tothe ends of which are secured hinge members 5, as clearly shown. Carriedby the hinge members 5 are end bumper members 6 which are made toconform in their general design to the Central bumper member 4 `and attheir outer ends are Y constructedi with hingefeyesl? receivin pmtle pin8:l Fitted around the -pintle8-gbe tween theeyes `7 isthe` outer endof aspring 9. which'fis `aresilient plate of slightlyarcu-ate normal i form,theV innerl portion.l of eachilea; spring orresilientplateQbeing/engagedwitlii the inner verticalleI-idf4 member 10"of aA'sprir'ig ll,v and' the inner extremity ofthe platebear` ing" againstwthe bars-jV 3` or *the chassisi te be braced thereby, as clearlyshownin, Fi4 1 i1'.- The end bumper members 6 are-eachA provided at` theirinner ends l Withstopl lugs y12 Whichl areadapted to impinge'againstthe'frear` side of,4 the: central bumper .member, as slzloivnclearlyi'nfFig'B, andtherebylimitthe'man ward movement of the.` end `bumpermembers and!vv holdtliemy normally in: suchA relation? te the centralmember Ythat 'theyf constituteelngations' or extensionsyof `thesameIcu-rving slightly `to the rear; f The spring-'I17 has members 13converging Vf-'r-onrthey central vertical: member l0 andi merging-fintoceil'si14 which aredisposed at' the rear of the bumper i and'atthe topyand bottomfvovff'tlielsaine, the extremities of the spring extendinglaterally from the coils` andi resting against'th'e" back of. thecentral: bumper member 4J te VWhich they' are secured by clips 1:5;"as'shown Fig. 3.

the bumper assumes the pesition shown'i'n full lines inF ig. l softha'titis adapted' tore# celve the Vimpactv from* a vehicle'in'f'nt'of thevehicle equippe-l'` with thevbu'mpers" and resist the relative "movementof thjetvvovehicles so.. that forciblefcollision betweenthe bodies of"the cars Will"v be resisted.'` Should a vehicle be passing; the vehicleequipped with my, bumpers and swerve Vto vr/Yard'.the

latter vehicle or cnt in ahead. of ittoo soon, the projecting.portionsofthev passing vehicle will engage the outer end ofthey adiaf cent bumpermember 61 which' willthfereupon yield'to-the impact and swingfferwandlyso It' WillA now` be understcodlthat nimm-ally the reflex action ofthespring will return the bumper member to its normal position.

In applying the invention to the rear end of a vehicle, a bracket 16 issecured to the rear end of the chassis sill 17 or some other fixed partof the frame and this bracket or block 16 passes across the Aends 18of acoiled spring 19 which ends'are seated in grooves forme in the rear faceof the frame member, asl clearly shown in Fig. 8. Attached to the blockor bracket 16 byva Vhinge 2O is a swinging block or bracket 21 to whichthe bumper member 22 is firmly secured. This bumper member 22 is of thesame general design as the front bumper in order to maintain a uni--formity of appearance in the vehicle and is shownvas composed of twoleaf springs having their outer freeendsconnected by a pin 23 and abracing member 30 extending from the pin 23 to the'block 21. The bumpermember 22 extends inwardly from the block 21 for a short distance, asshown in Fig. 5, and then curves rearwardly and then outwardly to extendlaterally beyond vthe vehicle at the rear of the rear ,wheel and thespring coils 19 are formed-in side members 24-connected Vat theirinner-ends by a vertical member 25, thereby defining aspring the same inall respects aS the spring 10 employed'on the front bumper. The`vertical portion 25 ofthe rear spring bears-against the front face ofthe inwardly extending straight portion of the bumper member 22, asshownin Figs. 6 and 7 so that the bumper will be normally held in itsrearward postion shown in full lines in Fig. 5. The resiliency of thebumper will permit it to yield to impact with a car at the rear ofthecar which is equipped with the bumper and will thereby preventdamaging collision. If acar should be backing alongside of the carequipped with my bumpers and'should move too close to the equipped car,the projecting end portion of the bumper 22 would be engaged and thebumper would swing about its hinge mountinv to the position indicated indotted lines inbFig. 5 so that the interferingv vehicle would becleared, the springs-19 being. put under increased tension so as toreturn the bumper to its normal position immediately after the carclears. y From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, will be seen that I have provided a very slmpleconstruction of bumper which may be installed at a low Vcost and whichwill prove highly efficient in use. Y

`Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A bumperdevice for automobiles com prising a relatively rigidsupporting member, ayieldable'member hingedly mounted upon thesupporting member, and a torsion spring mounted upon the supportingmember ad- ]acent the hinge mounting for lthe yieldable member andhavingside arms extending to and engaged with the yieldable member to hold thelatter in normal position.

2. A bumper comprising a central member, means for rigidly securing saidcentral member upon a vehicle, end members hinged to the ends of thecentral member, stops extending from the inner ends of the end membersto bear against the rear side of the central member to limit themovement of the end members, leaf springs secured at their outer endstothe outer ends of the respective end members, and torsion springsmounted upon the central member and engaged with the inner ends of saidleaf springs.

3. `A bumper comprising a torsion spring, a bracket secured over theouter ends of said torsion spring to secure the same to the frame of alvehicle, a bumper member hinged to said bracket and extending lateralland then rearwardly and outwardly therefrom, the inner end of thetorsion spring bearing against the inner end portion of said bumpermember whereby to yieldably hold the same in its rear normal position.o.

4. A bumper comprising a resilient member having an inner straight endportion and extending rearwardly and then outwardly from said straightend portion, means for hingedly mounting theinner straight end portionof the bumper upon a vehicle frame, and yieldable means for. holding thebumper in its rearward position. v

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE M. MCMURDO. i [n s]

